Pistol magazine follower depressor



May 1970 G. WILHELM PISTOL MAGAZINE FOLLOWER DEPRESSOR Filed March 22, 1968 INVENTOR. Gary Wilhelm United States Patent 3,509,655 PISTOL MAGAZINE FOLLOWER DEPRESSOR Gary Wilhelm, Hamden, Conn., assignor to Stoeger Arms Corporation, South Hackensack, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Mar. 22, 1968, Ser. No. 715,284 Int. Cl. F41c 25/02, 25/06; F42b 39/04 US. Cl. 42-50 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The principal object of this invention is to enable a shooter to apply the device to selectively limit the capacity of a cartridge magazine and thereby load a known number of cartridges when such capacity has been reached.

A further object is to provide a magazine follower depressor that is light in weight and easily applied and removed.

Another object is to permit economical manufacture.

Pistol magazines are made to hold a number of cartridges and are conventionally loaded by depressing the magazine follower against the urging of a follower spring. In many this is done with the finger pressure applied to a button on the side of the magazine. When so depressed cartridges may be loaded into the top of the magazine.

Target pistols may hold as many as twelve or 111101'6 carrtidges when fully loaded. Certain shooting matches call for a prescribed number of shots, usually five or ten, and the shooter loads his gun accordingly. In the stress of competition there always exists the possibility that more or less than the prescribed number of rounds will be placed in the magazine. Heretofore numbers have been impressed on the outside of the magazine to permit the shooter to visually check its load. With the present invention the magazine follower is mechanically held a fixed distance from the top of the magazine and when the magazine is so limited in its loading capacity to a fixed number of rounds the shooter may without counting cartridges fill the magazine to that limit and thereafter remove the depressor.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a pistol magazine engaged within a depressor embodying this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the depressor only.

FIGURE 3 is a front view of the depressor of FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a side view partly in section of a pistol magazine showing a different type of base construction.

FIGURE 5 is a front view of modification of the depressor of FIGURE 2, adapted to engage with the magazine base shown in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of FIGURE 5.

Referring to the drawings in which the same reference numeral refers to the same or a similar part, depressor 1 is channel shaped with downward facing notches 2 near its top and upward facing notches 3 and 4 below. Outwardly extending sloped flanges 5 afford finger rests when the depressor is applied or removed from pistol magazine 6.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 4, magazines 6 and 13 are of conventional design, having a vertical slot 8 to accommodate button 7 which is secured to the magazine follower 14. Magazine 13 differs from magazine 6 only in its base construction as hereinafter described. Depressing button 7 moves the magazine follower downward compressing a follower spring 15 and permitting insertion of cartridges at the top of the magazine.

When embracing magazine 6, as shown, magazine follower button 7 lies in notch 2, and magazine buttons 9 lie in notches 4. In this relationship the capacity of the magazine is at its minimum while if magazine buttons 9 were in notches 3 a greater capacity would be provided.

In applying the depressor to a magazine the upper end of the depressor is inclined toward the top rear of the magazine and button 7 engaged in notch 2. Next, by applying pressure with the fingers of one hand button 7 is depressed and when notches 3 or 4, as desired, are brought opposite magazine button 9 the depressor is brought into engagement of the selected notches with the magazine buttons. To remove the depressor merely calls for a reversal of those steps.

Some pistol magazines do not have magazine buttons as finger pieces for withdrawing them from a pistol grip but instead the base of the magazine is flanged to serve that purpose. FIGURE 4 shows partly loaded magazine 13 with base 12 so constructed. To fit such magazines the modified depressor of FIGURES 5 and 6 is employed. Notches 3 and 4 are dispensed with and in their stead ledges 10 and 11 extending inward and upward from the bottom wall of depressor 6 are provided to furnish engagement with a base 12. In FIGURES 5 and 6 these ledges are formed by cutting and then bending inward a portion of the bottom wall. In the metal working art, when so formed, the resulting projections are known as lances.

It should be noted that ledge 11 projects inward further than ledge 10 so that engagement of ledge 11 with base 12 is not prevented by ledge 10. Thus one, two or more adjustments of the magazine capacity are possible with the modified depressor as with the notched construction.

What I claim is:

1. In combination:

a cartridge magazine having a fixed lower end,

a pair of parallel buttons mounted on the outside of the magazine with its lower end between them,

a vertical slot in a side wall,

a follower slidably mounted therein,

spring biasing means compressed between the fixed lower end and the follower,

a follower button external thereto and connected to the follower through the said slot, and

a follower depressor comprising a channel shaped body embraceable of the said magazine,

a downward facing notch in the leading edge of a side wall of the body adjacent its top, adapted to removably engage with the said follower button, and

upward facing notches in the leading edge of the side wall of the body a spaced distance below the downward facing notch, adapted to removably engage with the said magazine buttons.

2. In combination:

a cartridge magazine having a fixed lower end,

a pair of parallel buttons mounted on the outside of the magazine with its lower end between them,

a vertical slot in a side wall,

a follower slidably mounted therein,

a spring biasing means compressed between the fixed lower end and the follower,

a follower button external thereto and connected to the follower through the said slot, and

a follower depressor comprising a channel shaped body embraceable of the said magazine, and at its upper end having its side walls extended as outwardly turned flanges,

a downward facing notch in the leading edge of a side wall of the body adjacent its top, adapted to removably engage with the said follower button, and

upward facing notches in the leading edge of the the downward facing notch, adapted to removably engage with the said magazine buttons.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,862,324 12/1958 Ball 4250 2,864,193 12/1958 Drew 42-50 k BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner C. T. JORDAN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

